Spark ignition distributor for internal combustion engines



4- Sheets-Sheet l July l 1,- 1939. A. MAssEY-ALLEN SPARK IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 24,

July 11, 1939.

SPARK IGNITION A. MAssEY-ALLEN 2,165,196

DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 24, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f7 7774619@ //sm July 11, 1939. A. MAssEY-ALLEN SPARK IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES- Filed Feb. 24, 193s 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 11, 1939. A. MAssEY-ALLEN SPARK IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 24, 1938 FigA Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE mismas SPARK IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES land Application February 24, 1938, Serial No. 192,379

In Great Britain March 8, 1937 s claims. (c1. zot-2s).

This invention relates to the distributors of ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines, and more particularly those used on air craft engines. The purpose of such distributors is to convey high-tension electrical discharges from magneto or ignition coils to the sparking plugs of engines in appropriate sequence. In its simplest form such a distributor usually comprises a plurality of stationary output electrodes arranged ata suitable angular distance apart and'adapted to be connected to the sparking plugs of an engine, and a. rotary electrode adapted to be connected to the magneto or ignitioncoil, the latter being adapted to produce an electrical discharge when the rotary electrode comes opposite a stationary electrode. When operating at high altitudes (owing to the lower atmospheric pressure), the electrical discharge' passes between the rotary andstationary electrodes more readily than when at or near the` ground, and also tends to persist, thus causing irregular ignition.

The object of the present invention is to minimise the eiIect of low atmosphericpressure on the proper working of distributors, and also to enable distributors intended for use with engines having a large number of cylinders to be constructed in a compact form.V

'I'he invention comprises the combination of a body part, a rotor, input electrodes arranged on the body part and subtending one side of the rotor, corresponding output electrodes on the body part subtending the other side of the rotor, and a .connecting electrode or electrodes carried transversely on the rotor and adapted to connect electrically corresponding inputand output electrodes.

The distributors forming the subject of this invention may be such as can be arranged independently of the source of high tension discharges, that is to saymagneto, or ignition coils, which latter would then be connected to the distributors by cables, or the sources of high tension discharges andthe distributors may be combined to form unitary structures.

In the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings are represented two typical examples.I

Figure 1 is asectional side view and'Figure 2 is a sectional end view on the line 2.2. Figure 1,

illustrating one form of distributor constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively similar views to Figures 1 and 2 illustrating another form of ldistributor constructed in accordance with the invention, the line lon which Figure 4 is taken being represented by 4.4.

In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2,

there is arranged in a metal case b a two part insulating body a, a1. The part a1 is removably 5 held in the case by screws n, and the part a is removably held by screws o. AThe part ax is rendered accessible by a removablel cover piece k1 and the part a by a removable cover piece k. The rotor c, made from insulating material, is 10 carried in and driven by a spindle d, and the latter is supported by a bearing e in the casing.

In the part a1 is embedded an arcuate metal strip p, and on the opposite edges of this strip are formed radial input electrodes q, r extending towards the rotor and subtending between them nearly 'one half of the rotor. The electrodes q, Y r occupy dierent parallel planes situated at right angles to the axis of the rotor, and in this example there are nine input electrodes, ve 20 equally spaced electrodes q extending from one edge of the strip, and four equally spaced electrodes 1' extending from the other edge, the electrodes r being disposed centrally opposite the gaps between the electrodes q as seen in Figure 2.

In the part a are arranged output electrodes s, t which subtend between them nearly the half of the rotor remote from the input electrodes q, r, there being four equally spaced electrodes sin the same plane as the electrodes q (as seen in Figure 1), and five electrodes t in the same plane as the electrodes 1', vthe electrodes t (as viewed in Figure 2) being diametrically opposite the electrodes q, and the electrodes s being diametrically opposite the electrodes r. J

The electrical discharges are conveyed to the strip pfrom a magneto or ignition coil through an electrical connection m, and the electrodes s, t are individually" connectible by Vterminals :i to the sparking plug cables.

Within the rotor is embedded a connecting electrode u having its ends projecting from the periphery of the rotor at diametrically opposite positions, the portion of this electrode lying within the rotor being cranked or deflected so that one 'end lies in the plane of the electrodes r, t, and the other in the plane of the electrodes q, s (see Figure 1).

During one half of each revolution of the rotor, 50 the connecting electrode u electrically connects each in turn of the electrodes q with the corresponding electrode t, and during the next half revolution it connects each in turn of the elec` trodes r to the corresponding electrode s. 55

The example shown in Figures 3 and 4, as regards the construction of the body part, casing and rotor, is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2.v The insulating body comprises a pair oi parts a, al, contained in a casing b, and access to these parts is provided by removable covers k, k1. The rotor spindle d is in this example supported at both ends by bearings e.-

In the part a1 are embedded a pair oi' arcuate metal strips v, w and electrical discharges are supplied to them through connections m, ml from ta pair of magnetoes or ignition coils operating alternately. The strip v has formed on it (in this example) seven radially projecting and equally spaced input electrodes x, substending between them nearly one half of the rotor c. Likewise. the strip w has formed on it seven electrodes y which occupy vSimilar angular positions to the electrodes s.

'I'he part a is provided with two sets of output electrodes s, t., which subtend between them nearly the half of the rotor remote from the input terminals x, y, each of the output electrodes being adapted to be connected by a terminal a' to a sparking plug cable. The electrodes s occupy a diii'erent plane from the electrodes t, and these planes are diilerently situated from the planes containing the electrodes 2:, y as shown in Figure 3. her (in this example) there are four electr y es s. and three electrodes t, the latter being situated centrally opposite the gaps between the electrodes s as viewed in Figure 4. Moreover the pitch of the electrodes s (or the angular distance between them) is twice that of the electrodes x or y and likewise the pitch of the electrodes `t is twice that of x or y.

In the rotor c are embedded four metal co necting electrodes 3, l, 5, 6. each of these electrodes lying within the rotor is cranked or laterally deflected, but the ends of these electrodes all extend beyond` opposite sidesl of the rotor in the same plane as that containing the-axis of the rotor, asvwill be seen in Figure 3.

'I'hat is to say' the projecting ends at one side of the rotor all lie in the same line, and also those extending from the other side of the rotor lie in the same line.

The cranking or lateral deection of the electrode l is such `that one projecting end lies in the plane containing the electrodes x and the other end lies in the plane containing the electrodes t. The electrode I is such that its' opposite ends lie respectively in the planes containing the electrodes s, s. The electrode B is such that its ends respectively lie in the planes-containing y the, electrodes t, y, and the electrode i is such that its ends lie respectively in-the planes of the electrodes s, I.' v

As already stated the electrical discharges are supplied alternately to the metal parts v, w and` the corresponding input electrodes x, y. During one half rotation of the rotor, the discharges supplied to the electrodes u will be conveyed to the butput electrodes t by the connecting electrode y l, and the discharges supplied tothe elec- `trodes :c will be -conveyed to the electrodes s by the connecting electrode I. Duringv the other ns1: rotation or the meer' the discharges.'

supplied to the electrodes y will be conveyed to the electrodess by the connecting electrode l. `and the .discharges supplied -to the electrodes s.' will be conveyed to the electrodes t by the connecting electrode 3. In this way, the output elec- 'trodes s, t will in each complete rotation of the The portion of the two sources operating alternately, these discharges being so timed, that in the interval between two discharges supplied to say the part v, the rotor will have moved through an angular distance equal to twice thetpitch oi' the electrodes r, the same condition applying also to the discharges supplied to the other part to.

By this invention the tendency of inter-electrode discharges to occur or persist in an undesirable manner at low atmospheric pressure is effectively minimized, vand further the electrodes required for conveying high tension discharges to engines having a large number of cylinderslcan (be safely arranged in a compact compass.

rotor, and a connecting electrode carried transversely on the rotor and adapted to connect electrically corresponding input and output electrodes, substantially as described.

2. A high tension ignition distributorcomprising the combination of a body part, a rotor, input electrodes arranged on the body part in different planes and subtending one side of the periphery of the rotor, output electrodes arranged on the body part in dinerent vplanes and subtending the other side oi the perpihery of the rotor, and an electrode carried by the rotor and'adapted during each hal! rotation to interconnect electrically input and output electrodes .occupying diiierent planes, substantially as described.

3. A high tension ignition distributor comprising the combination of a body part, a rotor, an arcuate metal conductor arranged on-the body part and provided with two sets of input electrodes occupying different planes and subtending one side of the periphery of the rotor, two independent sets of output electrodes arranged on the .body part, one set being in the plane of one of the sets` of input electrodes, and the other being in the planev of the .other set 'of input electrodes. the output electrodes being arranged to subtend the side oi' the periphery of the rotor opposite the input electrodes, and an electrode on the rotor havi'ng laterally displaced opposite ends adapted during each half rotation of the rotor to interconnect electrically the input electrodes in one plane to the output electrodes in the other plane, substantially as described.

4. A high tension ignition distributor comprising the combination of a body part, a rotor. two sets of input electrodes arranged on the body part and occupying diil'erent planes. the said electrodes subtending one side of the periphery of the rotor, two sets of output electrodes arranged onv the body part and subtending the other side of the periphery of the rotor, the output electrodes occupying dierent planes which are also diierent from the planes occupied by the input electrodes. and two pairs oi' connecting electrodes on the rotor. one pair of connecting velectrodes serving to connect the input electrodes to one set of output electrodes, and the other pair trodes, substantially as described.

s. s high tension ignition dismbumr compm- 7g rotor -be supplied with electrical discharges from ing the combination of a body part. a rotor, twov V7i sets of input electrodes arranged on the body part and occupying different planes, the said electrodes subtending one side of the periphery of the rotor, two sets of output electrodes arranged on the body part and subtending the other side of the periphery of the rotor, the output electrodes occupying different planes which are different from the planes occupied by the input electrodes, and two pairs of electrodes on the rotor each having their ends situated at opposite sides of the rotor and having the said ends displaced laterally in the direction of the axis of the rotor, one pair of connecting electrodes serving to connect the output electrodes to one set of input electrodes and the other pair of connecting electrodes serving to connect the outputI electrodes to the other set of input electrodes, substantially as described.

ALFRED MASSEY-ALLEN. 

